Newtral
Technologies and Grant Thornton Kenya have entered a strategic partnership to
help businesses in Kenya and the wider East African region prepare for stricter
environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting and compliance requirements
through artificial intelligence.
The collaboration comes as Kenya prepares to introduce mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2 sustainability disclosures from January next year under a phased implementation roadmap led by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK).
The global assurance standard ISSA 5000 is also expected to take effect in December, raising the bar for corporate sustainability reporting.
Under the partnership, the two firms will jointly deploy Newtral Technologies' artificial intelligence platform, Noa, alongside Grant Thornton Kenya's advisory services to support businesses with carbon accounting, ESG reporting and regulatory compliance.
Unlike traditional compliance systems that rely on periodic reporting, Noa continuously monitors organisational data, reconciles information, identifies reporting gaps and prepares audit-ready disclosures.
The companies say the approach is designed to help organisations move from manual compliance processes to continuous governance.
The agreement was signed during a visit to Nairobi by Newtral Technologies executives, including Global Sales director Shyam Kanojojia and Co-founder Anuraag Paul, who held discussions with Grant Thornton Kenya Chief Executive Dipesh Shah and Advisory Services Director Michael Chomba on the future of ESG compliance in the region.
The firms said demand for green finance across East Africa is increasing, making transparent and verifiable sustainability reporting a growing priority for companies seeking investment and access to international markets.
Paul said East Africa has an opportunity to establish modern compliance systems as new sustainability reporting standards take effect.
He said artificial intelligence could automate much of the data collection and verification process, allowing business leaders to focus on strategic decisions instead of manual reporting.
Chomba
said Kenyan businesses are entering a new era of mandatory sustainability
reporting and will require practical tools to meet the evolving regulatory
requirements.
He noted that combining Grant Thornton Kenya's advisory expertise with Newtral's AI platform would help organisations produce more accurate and audit-ready ESG and carbon accounting reports ahead of the 2027 deadlines.
Newtral investor Gayatri Reddy said Africa is emerging as an important market for technology-driven governance and compliance solutions as businesses seek greater transparency and accountability.
The
partnership reflects the growing use of artificial intelligence in corporate
governance as companies across Africa prepare for tougher sustainability
disclosure rules and rising investor expectations on environmental and social
performance.
